Rassie Erasmus: Go inside the mind of the Springboks boss

Springboks Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus is faced with a number of tough calls in getting the best 33 players onto the World Cup plane.

As we’ve learnt in the past, sometimes Rassie Erasmus talks a bit too much.

But other times, he lets fans of the Springboks inside the inner workings of his rugby brain. And this is one such occasion.

ERASMUS WEIGHS UP BACKS AND FORWARDS SPLIT

Before 8 August 2023 arrives – the date when the Springboks announce their final 2023 Rugby World Cup squad – the management team must decide how many forwards and backs to take.

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Previously that has been an easy decision. But from 31 players in 2019 to 33 in 2023, the decision is more complicated.

Let Erasmus explain.

“We are not sure ourselves yet. Out and out, we want to take the best 33 players, who are on form the best rugby players, healthy, can adjust to any game-plan.

“We have already spoken about that, and then we come up with 38 players, and then we start to eliminate guys,” said Erasmus.

The word healthy is vitally important with current captain Siya Kolisi amongst those injured at the moment.

Almost every time we meet, we pick a 33-man squad – at our camps, or the end of the week – and many times, that will determine how your split (between backs and forwards) must go.

“For example, this guy is such a good rugby player, and he is a back. And the safety of another forward… that (back) player’s ability almost overrides who you will choose that split. Now we have 33; the previous World Cup was 31 – almost too many, as you can’t coach 15 against 15, with one guy on the side.

“Now we are 33, and it’s the same time-zones. So, I think we will take the best 33 rugby players who you know will give each other the toughest times during practices.”

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THE GRANT WILLIAMS DEBATE

Erasmus appears to be losing sleep over one player in particular and it’s not Kolisi.

“I can give you an example: a guy like Grant Williams. You almost want to take him with, and then if you then have fewer forwards… I’m not saying we are definitely doing that – it’s just how our minds are working.

“Then you almost think you must maybe make place for this guy (Williams) – the way he plays rugby and how well he’s playing, what he does… Should you rather have the safety of an extra forward? No – we are already two more players than in 2019, and you don’t fly through time-zones.

“A guy gets onto a plane tonight, and he will be there tomorrow morning.

“So, we will take the best 33 players, and it might sway us to having a split with perhaps an extra back, instead of that forward that we might pick for safety, but who may not be as good a rugby player.”

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SPRINGBOKS LOOSE FORWARDS HAVE PLENTY TO PLAY FOR

Erasmus also presented the growing number of options for the Springboks in the backrow given how well the Stormers played in the United Rugby Championship as well as a few incumbents who excelled abroard.

“A guy like Deon Fourie comes in and can play hooker and loose forward. Then you think of the role Schalk Brits played, and then Deon Fourie makes a hell of a lot of sense to you.

“Then you think if Siya is 100 percent fit… Deon can actually start a match. But then a guy like Kwagga (Smith) was the player of the season in Japan. Jasper was the player of the season in the Premiership. Evan (Roos) is playing really hard.”

And that’s without bringing Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen into the conversation.

It’s going to be a long, hard season on and off the pitch for the Springboks. And for the Springboks director of rugby.

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